Lauterbach: Indications of a major corona wave
Christmas is two weeks away and Health Minister Lauterbach is looking ahead to the festive season with some concern. Too few people are vaccinated well enough - an infection is still too dangerous. The minister continues to advise people to work from home and to avoid Christmas parties in closed rooms.
Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach is urging people with risk factors and those over the age of 60 to get vaccinated against coronavirus before Christmas. The "wastewater is currently pointing to a big wave", writes the SPD politician on X. He knows that nobody likes to hear this, but the people mentioned should "get vaccinated before the big festive celebrations". Corona is "not a cold" and could "continue to cause permanent damage".
He told Bild am Sonntag that "it is not a cold that you can catch every season without hesitation". The virus "often also affects the blood vessels or weakens the immune system" and "can therefore far too often not be completely cured".
With regard to the vaccination, he suggested that it is best to get immunized "against flu and corona at the same time". He also advised all citizens to "wear a mask again" on buses and trains. He also advised people to avoid indoor Christmas parties. Lauterbach added that anyone who has the option should stay at home and not work in the office. He also recommended a quick coronavirus test "in case of doubt" "before we meet older sick people".
Lauterbach had recently said at a meeting on long Covid restrictions that a corona wave could be identified from calculations. According to these calculations, the incidence is around 1700 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants in seven days. According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), however, this high level now has a different meaning than during the pandemic due to the greater immunity provided by vaccinations and infections. For the time being, this is not reflected in the intensive care units of hospitals. There are no longer any requirements for masks, tests and quarantine as there were in winter 2022.
The minister also expressed his disappointment that only three million people have so far received vaccinations with new preparations adapted to current virus variants. Rhineland-Palatinate's Health Minister Clemens Hoch also spoke of a wave of infections. "Not only corona, but also other viruses are currently very much in circulation. People are getting really sick in some cases."
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Source: www.ntv.de
